culture

Nearly every video on Machinima’s popular YouTube channel has seemingly been deleted following its sale to Fullscreen Media earlier this week, and it’s unclear if any will be re-uploaded in the coming days. The channel currently has 18 videos listed on its channel, although most of those videos don’t actually play. Those videos are official Machinima productions, not independent uploads from creators who worked under the company’s multi-channel network Machinima Creators banner. A report from TubeFilter stated that Fullscreen’s acquisition “will result in the layoff of Machinima employees — with some joining other units within WarnerMedia and Otter — though it is unclear how many staffers these cuts will ultimately impact.” Following the acquisition earlier this week, a Fullscreen representative told The Verge that it wasn’t commenting at the time, it did say that “both Fullscreen and Otter Media [Fullscreen’s … [Read more...] about Machinima, one of YouTube’s biggest and oldest channels, goes dark

Spotify is planning to release an in-car music player with voice controls later this year, anonymous sources told The Financial Times. Spotify has previously teased this type of product with pop-up screens in the Spotify app seen by some customers, as The Verge reported back in April, but today’s news further confirms its existence. The Times says the device will be priced around $100. Its rumored release comes as companies including Apple (with CarPlay), Google (Assistant and Android Auto), and Amazon (Alexa) compete for in-car dominance. Spotify’s very first hardware device will attempt to deliver music more directly to customers instead of going through Apple’s CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto, platforms found on newer vehicles that the company already supports. It will sync with car stereos through Bluetooth — much like a smartphone — and include buttons you can preset to correspond with your favorite playlists. The device will support voice … [Read more...] about Spotify will reportedly release an in-car music player later this year

There are so many streaming options available these days, and so many conflicting recommendations, that it’s hard to see through all the crap you could be watching. Each Friday, The Verge’s Cut the Crap column simplifies the choice by sorting through the overwhelming multitude of movies and TV shows on subscription services and recommending a single perfect thing to watch this weekend. What to watch “Yesteryear,” a 1973 episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. Written by D.C. Fontana (a key contributor to the original 1960s Star Trek, who penned 10 episodes and served as the story editor), “Yesteryear” takes place in the wake of a routine fact-finding mission into a “time vortex.” Though Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise’s landing party have taken great pains not to interfere with history, when they return to the present, they discover that a minor oversight has inadvertently erased first officer Spock from the … [Read more...] about Celebrate Star Trek: Discovery’s return with the Animated Series

Although it debuted on the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Bros. has always been inseparable from the GameCube’s iconic controllers. In fact, every Smash game produced since has allowed you to play with them. Now, Reddit user u/Littlewolf128 has taken this pairing a step further, with a Nintendo Switch dock modified to look like an entire Gamecube console, that’s complete with working Gamecube controller ports. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a mod (in fact Littlewolf128 said they used a pre-existing design created by Rated-e Mods) but it’s the first time we’ve seen the project attempted since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate came out for the Switch in December. It’s also the first to use the console’s Japan-exclusive Spice Orange color-scheme — which gets it some well-deserved hipster points. However, you don’t have to dremel an old console in half in order to get a more authentic Smash experience. There are a variety of other … [Read more...] about This Nintendo Switch Gamecube dock mod even has working controller ports

Netflix has released numbers for some of its films and series — a show of strength to investors ahead of upcoming streaming wars with Disney and AT&T. Bird Box, which Netflix previously reported accrued more than 45 million unique account streams seven days after its release, has now surpassed 80 million views, according to CEO Reed Hastings’ letter to investors. You, a Lifetime series that Netflix has purchased the rights to, will surpass 40 million household streams within the first four weeks of its release. The same goes for new Netflix original series, Sex Education. Hastings’ letter states that Netflix accounts for 10 percent of all television viewing in the United States. It’s an impressive feat, and one that Hastings really wants to hammer home for investors as the streaming wars gear up. Disney is planning to launch its standalone streaming service, Disney+, this fall; WarnerMedia’s streaming service will also launch later this year; … [Read more...] about Netflix shares huge numbers for original content as Disney’s streaming service nears